Tesla Model 3 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Tesla Model 3 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Tesla Model 3 passed on its first attempt in 86.3%, and its overall record sits +6.8 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Tesla Model 3 in the 2023–2025 data: 169,765 tests across 6 model years (2019–2024). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Tesla Model 3 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Tesla Model 3, the Tyres section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Tesla Model 3's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Tesla Model 3 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Tesla Model 3, each with how many of the model's 169,765 tests it was noted on.

• "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 6,940 Tesla Model 3 tests, 4.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has ply or cords exposed" (Major) — noted on about 3,800 Tesla Model 3 tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 3,699 Tesla Model 3 tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 2,681 Tesla Model 3 tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 1,704 Tesla Model 3 tests, 1.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers blade defective" (Minor) — noted on about 1,054 Tesla Model 3 tests, 0.6% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Tesla Model 3 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Tesla Model 3 model year on record is 2024 (97.4% across 117 tests), and the weakest is 2020 (86.8%). The gap between them is 10.6 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Tesla Model 3 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 2.1 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Tesla Model 3 Owners

These checks follow this Tesla Model 3's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Tesla Model 3.

• the tyre tread — “tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm”

  Check all four tyres cold, including the inner shoulder where wear hides — 1.6mm across the central three-quarters is the legal limit, and most testers fail at 1.6mm without argument.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

• the suspension joints — “pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Tesla Model 3. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Tesla Model 3 MOT & Reliability